Dog owners frequently complain about pets that do not conform to a normal walking routine, but tend to run and tug at the leash in every direction, which diminishes the satisfaction of walking the dog. To reform the inclination of a dog to pull and run in scattered directions, training collars activated by handheld devices have been used to produce various stimulation that provide positive reinforcement for getting the dog's attention and eventually training them to cease tugging on the leash and to adopt a comfortable, controlled pace.
Some trainers use a low level of shock as a marker to identify for the animal a behavior to be avoided. These devices exert a behavioral reinforcement when the trainer pairs a mild stimulus, such as an electrical shock, produced at the collar location. A problem with the current state-of-the-art is that collars that are actuated by the owner often do not sufficiently coincidentally produce the stimulus to the misbehavior of the pet. A more timely application of the positive reinforcement following the objectionable behavior needs to be found.
Valencia (US 2011/0232584 A1) cites a device that upon activation emits one or more noises to get the animals attention. It is a standalone device that fails to be practical for the average pet owner because it does not associate the device with the dog's standard walking collar or harness. Noise stimulation is quite different from actual bodily contact from a stimulation force.
Hultine et al (U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,192) provides an electrical impulse to the animal via a piezoelectric or mechanical sensing, but the leash is directly tied to the device that delivers the shock to the animal, thus either causing the animal to become averse to the standard collar and limiting where the trainer might want to apply the leash, as for example on harness.
Fisher (U.S. Pat. No. 7,992,525 B1) uses pressure activation as may be supplied by a lever when the dog pulls the leash that then operates a spray in the direction of the dog's nose. The means to deter the animal's behavior is fluid based, in an area where dogs learn to turn their heads in response to the spray. Additionally the device is triggered via direct physical contact with the animal.
Boesch et al (U.S. Pat. No. 6,748,902 B1) uses a handheld device having therein a transmitter that sends a signal to a correction collar when a transducer to a collar that measures the strength of pull and at differing levels of pull tension is activated. In this instance the leash is again directly connected to the collar that supplies the shock to the animal, thus either causing the animal to become averse to the standard collar and limiting where the trainer might want to apply the leash, as for example on harness.
None of the prior art teaches a leash attachable to a normal dog collar or harness that is independent of a second collar that actually supplies an electrical or mechanical stimulation simultaneously with a tugging force. Having a stimulation device independent from the walking collar or harness allows the more natural practice of pacing and casually walking a dog and a more reliable energy transfer device to the dog's body.